Qumran archaeology.

• Author: Eshel, H.

In his new book, Professor Yizhar Hirschfeld of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archaeology attempts to sum up systematically the accumulation of archaeological research relating to Khirbet Qumran. The work consists of five chapters. The first presents the history of research at Qumran. The second deals with the question of the origin of the scrolls, in particular whether they originated in Qumran or in Jerusalem. The third chapter is the central part of the book, in which Hirschfeld presents his own opinions on the archaeology of Qumran. The fourth chapter deals with the building excavated at Ein Feshkha, and the final chapter discusses the general picture of the settlements along the coast of the Dead Sea during the Second Temple period.

Hirschfeld, it should be noted, has himself never excavated at Qumran. He has, however, excavated at Ein Feshkha and at Ein Gedi, where he uncovered a large Jewish village established during the Second Temple period. There is no doubt that he is well versed in the archaeology of the Dead Sea Valley during the Second Temple Period. However, as we will see consequently, he refrains from studying the nine hundred or so scrolls discovered in the caves adjacent to Qumran. His book contains many new ideas, which he presents as if they were facts. These original ideas are both the advantages and disadvantages of the book. In fact, it seems that the desire to be innovative has prevented Hirschfeld from objectively considering the data in its entirety.

Khirbet Qumran is a unique site due to the fact that in addition to silent artifacts of the type well known from other Second Temple sites, around nine hundred scrolls were discovered in eleven caves surrounding the site. In spite of this blessed situation, which provides abundant information concerning the inhabitants of the site in the Second Temple period, not all scholars agree as to its nature. Hirschfeld's book reflects the disengagement that exists today between the archaeologists who deal with Khirbet Qumran and the scholars who study the scrolls. This unhealthy situation, in which certain scholars deal with the texts, and others concern themselves only with the non-epigraphic artifacts, has in recent years caused a number of archaeologists to question the accepted view that Qumran was home to a religious sect. It should be noted that among the more than one hundred scholars who took part in the extensive publication of the scrolls, not one has doubted the theory that a faction of the Essene sect lived at Qumran.

Since Hirschfeld is an archaeologist who has never studied the scrolls, most of the information he does provide pertaining to the texts and the caves in which they were found is scant and in some cases incorrect. Thus, for instance, a picture of Cave 11 is labeled as Cave 1 (p. 18, fig. 8). The caption to a picture of Cave 4 (p. 19, fig. 9) states that Cave 5 can be seen, even though it is not in the picture at all. Hirschfeld mistakenly uses the term Mevaker Tzedek which does not appear at all in the scrolls (p. 23); he has obviously confused two titles: Moreh HaTzedek, "the Teacher of Righteousness," the community leader who is mentioned in the scrolls, and Mevaker, "the Overseer," who was responsible for the moral and financial situation of the community.

The book is beset with inaccuracies, of which I will note only a few. Thus, for example, it is not true that the name of the site is not mentioned in any of the scrolls (pp. 34, 46). Confirmation that the scrolls found at Qumran belonged to the inhabitants of the site is provided by the appearance of its ancient name, Secacah, in the Copper Scroll discovered in Cave 3. This scroll contains a list of sixty-three treasures that were hidden in the Judaean Desert and the area of Jerusalem. The Copper Scroll mentions treasures hidden "in the heap which is in the valley of Secacah" (treasure no. 20), "at the head of the aqueduct that runs to Secacah from the north" (treasure no. 21), "in the crevice that is at Secacah" (treasure no. 22), and "in the grave which is in Wadi Kefah as it leads from Jericho to Secacah" (treasure no. 24). Immediately following these descriptions is mentioned the Cave of the Pillar, in which a "book" (i.e., a scroll) has been hidden (treasure no. 25). Already John Allegro, the first to publish the Copper Scroll, identified Qumran as Secacah on the basis of these descriptions. (1) This identification also matches the order of the desert cities given in Josh. 15:61-62. (2)

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